Tractor drive-axle weight changes
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In Commercial Motor last month it was said that the law would have to be changed on 1 January 1992 to allow a 10.5-tonne drive-axle on three-axled tractors. I understand that a 10.5-tonne drive-axle is permitted already. Can you explain please?
A On 1 January 1992 the UK has to allow the driving axle of five and six-axled articulated vehicles and road-trains on inter-state operations to be 10.5 tonnes — with no strings attached.
While a 10.5-tonne driving axle is already allowed in the UK, the permitted gross weight of a rigid truck or articulated tractor unit with, in either case, three or more axles is tied to a maximum axle weight. The permitted GVW of a rigid truck is contained in Part I of Schedule 11 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986. For a vehicle to be used at a specified GVW it must not exceed a specified axle weight. The maximum axle weight for a three-axled truck is 10,170kg and, for a truck with four axles or more, 9,660kg.
Consequently, these limits will have to be changed, at the minimum, for the benefit of drawbar tractors on inter-state work. The permitted GVW of an artic tractor is given in Part II of the same Schedule, To gross 22,500kg or 24,390kg a tractor with three or more axles cannot have a 10.5-tonne axle (other than the front or rear axle) unless its outer axle spread is at least 4m and 4.9m respectively. These restrictions will have to be dropped for tractors on inter-state work.